Save our School food

Re: Save our School food

Mr Oliver , we have a lovely school cook at the school that I help in ,( I know she would be happy for you to call.) I have not seen the school dinners fr a while as I am in a different art of the building doing a sandwich duty when I am in school.I know that there is a salad bar that the children can help themselves to to go with their meal. There are baked potates with fillings , filled rolls , and hot dishes that are prepared daily . I am not sure how much frozen foods are used as I have not had the oppertunity to call into the kitchens for a while but I do know that she realy tries to cook what she can from fresh but of course this is deendant on the menu dictated by county and the supplier has is assigned.Ths

I saw your interview on BBC Breakfast and as a result I wrote to a friend of mine who will be setting up an accadamy for next year.I totally agree that we cannot have a backward step .

Re: Save our School food

In order that schools always served good foods in France, we bought lunch tichets from the Town Hall once a month....depending on the parents income it was estimated how much each family should pay, if you fell into the first group say A-G you pay the tickets at whole price, H-O lesser etc, i have always thought that it was an excellent idea.

Kids either ate at school as parents worked or at home when a parent didn't work, i have never seen lunch boxes in the schools.

English friend made 4 lunch boxes every morning for years for his 4 kids when he was a single Dad, (his youngest was one year old, second youngest two yrs old when the mother left them)....he took them to school everyday before going to do a days work...if he could do so then why can't others....until at last schools and parents become better educated on the subject.

He now works in a school himself and is obliged to make his lunch box every day....in Essex!!

Re: Save our School food

My husband often visits the canteen at middays to make sure that (the young as we call them) mentally handicapped adults choose their menus correctly... the nurse is always present and a tutor too....same but different story....

Mentioned just because that often it is the only decent meal that they have in a day, as with many kids in the schools that you are fighting for.

Re: Save our School food

I do a sandwich duty in school and I always find the lunch bxes interesting , they are very varied , the children at school are a whole host of nationalities , from countries like Pakistan , Bangladesh , Yemin , Malasia to name just a few with Welsh/English children are in the minority.Its an interesting school and as you can see the children will have their own ideas what is good to have in a packed lunch box.

some children will happily bring in 'left overs ' from the meal the night before whilst others might have a sandwich , samosas , sausage roll ,pastie or filled bread roll.Most children bring a packet of crisps/potato chips .Not all bring a piece of fruit.many bring some yoghurt.some bring a chocolate biscuit , a muffin or a piece of cake.then are the things like cheese strings or those little pepperami and only a few children bring these.in the colder weather quite a few will have a thermos flask of soup or sometimes stew.I have noticed quite a few sweets being put int lunch boxes recently , I try to discourage ( sometimes a child might just have a packet of sweets and a chocolate biscuit or packet of crisps in their luch box )this a bit but of course we cannot dictate to the parents what goes into a childs packed lunch box.

Re: Save our School food

With you all the way Jamie, fortunately the school where my kids go is still producing good food but with the economy struggling so much we need to be carefull the cheaper options dont start finding their way back on the menu!

Re: Save our School food

Dear Mr Oliver , it is not only the future of school food that is facing dire times. I am a food technology teacher and Under the previous government Food technology/home economics became compulsory as a national curriculum subject up to Key Stage 3. The previous government realised this subject was necessary as a generation of children had grown up without the necessary culinary skills and knowledge of their food to properly care for themselves and their own children. Under the new English baclaurate This subject has under the coillition party been considered unneccessary, along with all funding for ingredients for those on benefits. To offer Food/Design technology is now optional for schools and as an expensive subject for the schools to run in this economic climate.

Re: Save our School food

Jamie I totally agree!

I run a business called The Fun Food Company and we deliver roadshows to KS3 students, usually in PHSE type days.

The roadshow is an hour long, 30 minutes of great nutritional teaching about balanced meals, importance of breakfast, food groups etc with high levels of audience participation, and the second 30 mins is a cooking competition between the Red Chillis and the Green peas of who can cook the best healthy meal in 15 minutes!

The pupils (50 - 300 of them) all have red or green voting cards and vote for the winner at the end. I then use the recipes made in the show as specials during the lunch time and serve the pupils.

All this to promote how good, enjoyable and easy healthy eating can be.

Jamie if you want to back my cause please get in touch! Or if anyone has a school they would like me to bring the roadshow to, please also get in touch for more information.

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